RAV RULES THE WAVES; HIGH SCHOOL RADIO STATION ROCKS TO ITS OWN TUNES

Christl Dabu
Special To The Toronto Sun

From an eclectic fusion of rock, dance, pop, classic and indie tunes to interviews with city councillors and WWF wrestlers, students at Vaughan Secondary School in Thornhill have been hitting the air waves as the first high school in Canada with a radio broadcast licence.

"It's run by high-school students. The talent you hear on-air is students and the music chosen is by the students," says Yoav Marer, 18, who helped with training students at 106.3 Radio @ Vaughan (RAV) FM.

As an alternative to mainstream radio, the station was started in 1998 by Rob Basile, the RAV station manager. In April 1999, Industry Canada/Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved RAV for FM broadcasting.

"It was to build a communications tool where the students had a voice, and also to give an outlet to the students who want to pursue a career in the media," Basile says. "The ultimate vision here is to create one voice for the school which can bridge all gaps."

The non-profit radio station, located in the school itself, is part of a Grade 12 radio and video course for 24 students. A RAV club was also formed outside of the class where as many as 30 members take on roles, like program director and news director. Radio experience isn't required, but club members must follow the rules of its training manual and learn how to use the equipment and produce their own shows.

Equipment -- such as the broadcast console, turntables, speakers and minidisc players -- was donated by radio stations like 104.5 CHUM FM. Some major record labels and independent record companies supply them with free music.

The station is advertisement-free, airing public service announcements for non-profit organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Cystic Fibrosis Canada instead. Along with the weekly Top 20 songs, on-air personalities touch on news, entertainment and other hot topics.

"It's not just about the music. It's really a haven for students and teenage expression altogether," says Aisha Khan, 16, who is the program director and was a DJ last year for their Sunday night rock show called The Amplitude. "We're trying to educate people our age that we're part of the community and we want to be doing charity work and be politically active ... instead of just going for the big rock bands."

Students find the experience valuable for their future.

"I'd say that this is the best learning experience I've had in high school. You have a head start over other people your age because you've got the hands-on skills," says Robbie Shatzky, 17, who had a sports-hour radio show called Rad Tad Rob Attack Hour that aired three times a week last year.

The school community listens to live broadcasts from the cafeteria and the PA system. Although the frequency is limited to the immediate school area, listeners world-wide can tune in to the station on the Internet (www.ravfm.com).

Illustration(s):

Photo by Michael Peake
RAV STAFF: Rob Basile, Erik Hueglin, Ayelet Meir, Yoav Marer, Lidia Vieira, Noah Wayne and Gavin Lee.

Length: Medium, 435 words

© 2001 The Toronto Sun. All rights reserved.

Doc.: 20011012TN0597